The bus ride from Laurinburg may seem long, but Bailey will see some familiar faces when the Scots arrive around 5:15 p.m. on Friday.

In a rematch of last season’s 4-A Eastern Regional Finals, defending state champion Scotland County will make the long trek to Caruso-Coates Stadium to tangle with the second-ranked New Bern Bears at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

The winner advances to the state championship game to play either North Davidson or Porter Ridge in Chapel Hill on Nov. 30.

“We love playing at home, but we’ve played some of our best football on the road,” said Bailey. “Hopefully that trend continues on Friday.”

New Bern is playing in the state semifinals for the third-straight season. The Bears lost to Durham Hillside, 12-7, in 2010.

They fell to Scotland County, 61-28, last season in Laurinburg.

This time, New Bern, as the No. 1 seed in the East, will play in front of its hometown faithful.

“This is big for us,” said New Bern sophomore Michael Hughes, who leads the Bears with five interceptions. “We’ve been here the past two years. It’s time to knock the door down and get to Chapel Hill.”

The Bears had a miserable bus ride to Scotland County last season.

The windshield on their first bus was shattered by an on-coming Seagull. Their replacement bus broke down on Interstate 95.

“After that nightmare trip we had last year, I am very relieved to not have to get on a bus,” New Bern coach Bobby Curlings said. “I feel like it’s an advantage by playing in your home stadium in front of your home crowd.”

New Bern defeated New Hanover, 49-35, last week. Running backs Jachin Watkins and Cody Purdie combined for five rushing touchdowns.

“We have to be patient and we have to keep doing what we’ve been doing in the playoffs,” Curlings said. “We have to see what (Scotland County) is trying to do to us and trying to take away, and trying to find something they are leaving open.”

“They have an explosive offense, very talented,” said Bailey. “They are good at every level. They good at the line, good at running back, good at quarterback, they have dynamic wide outs.

“I don’t really see any deficiencies. They are well-rounded. They are good on offense, good on defense and good on special teams, and they are well-coached.”

Bailey is in his first season as head coach at Scotland County. He replaced former New Bern coach Chip Williams, who won his first state title with the Scots last season.

Bailey spent the past 12 years as the head coach at Jack Britt.

“Last year’s state championship team was probably one of the best high school football teams I have ever seen. That was a special group of athletes,” Bailey said. “We are not as talented as last year’s team. Our margin of error is not as near as great.

“This year’s team is special in its own right, especially since the expectations were lower. The kids have really bought into what we’re doing.”

The Scots only loss was a 21-16 defeat to New Hanover — a team New Bern beat twice.

Scotland County has wins over powerhouses Jack Britt, Richmond Senior and E.E. Smith.

“We’ve always talked about playing one game at a time and each game being the biggest game of the year,” Curlings said. “We are trying to treat it like business as usual and being the best we can this week.”

The Scots are led by sophomore quarterback Jaylend Ratliffe, who has more than 1,300 passing yards and 900 rushing yards.

Senior running back Jalen McLean has nearly 800 rushing yards.

“(Jalen) has improved by leaps-and-bounds, just by his grasping of the offense and his confidence,” Bailey said.” All those things have grown incredibly. He is a big-time athlete, but is he really getting the mental part of it down.”

The Scots’ defense is allowing 12 points per game, led by N.C. State commit Artemis Robinson. Chris Moss is second on the team in tackles.

Robinson’s half brother is former N.C. State standout Terrell Manning, who is a linebacker for the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. His younger brother Robert McKoy is a starting safety for the Scots.

“Artemis is a great athlete and comes from a very gifted family,” Bailey said. “He has a great work ethic and really enjoys the grind of practicing football. That’s why he is going to be a great college player. He is the undisputed leader of our defense.”

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Adam Thompson can be reached at 252-635-5669 or at Adam.Thompson@newbernsj.com. Follow Adam on Twitter @Adam_matic.